Charles Guyard // Photo credit: AFP 7:58 a.m., February 10, 2024
The fight by environmentalists continues against the construction of the 69 motorway between Toulouse and Castres. Activists will be able to count on the presence of Greta Thunberg this weekend to continue demonstrating against the highway project.
The Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg, officially joins the ranks of opponents of the motorway project and will stay a little in Tarn. The organizers announce that they want to build cabins and collective places around a ZAD, an area to be defended. On Friday, clashes took place between demonstrators and the police. Activists are heading into another high-risk day in the sector.
“People are over-motivated” to demonstrate against the project
The tone should rise again between environmental activists and law enforcement. The security operation was carried out by 90 gendarmes. This maneuver by the police resulted in jets of tear gas and projectiles. Two demonstrators were arrested after these clashes. And despite these muscular exchanges, the anti-A69 do not intend to give up.
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"These are the last trees on the route. That is to say that for 53 km, only these trees remain. If these trees fall, we will no longer be able to defend anything. People are over-motivated. What's more , Greta Thunberg is coming to come see us. I think that no one there could say that we are starting to get tired or that we are starting to be discouraged", assures Gibbons, one of the opponents of the Toulouse-Castres motorway project.
Greta Thunberg also spent the night with environmental activists from Tarn. The organizers hope for the presence of thousands of demonstrators. For its part, the prefecture, which banned the demonstration, is planning a major security system. On Friday, around ten gendarme trucks were already deployed in the area.